Immerse yourself in our world-renowned Yoga Teachers’ Training Course in India, the land where yoga was born.

Come and develop the skills to teach yoga asana, gaining a solid grounding in the classical yoga tradition, and at the same time deepen your spiritual connection to yoga and open yourself to profound inner transformation. In this four-week course you will establish a firm foundation of discipline that promotes physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual growth and build a strong base from which to teach others naturally and with confidence.

The Teachers’ Training Course (TTC) is a four-week intensive residential course, based on the ancient gurukula system of India where teacher and student live together. You will be in a traditional Ashram and closely interact with our experienced and dedicated teachers and staff who themselves are immersed in the yogic lifestyle. Connected to an ancient teaching lineage (guru parampara), passed down from guru to disciple through thousands of years, the curriculum is extensive and covers both theory and practice. Devotional practices, traditional to India, are an integral part of the Course.

A vegetarian diet, daily personal practice of yoga and meditation, as well living in the stunning natural beauty of India, away from town and city promote an atmosphere conducive to profound learning. The Course was designed by Swami Vishnudevananda in 1969 with the vision to not only develop successful yoga professionals but to also spread peace in the world through them. A sincere desire to learn and openness to yogic techniques is required – a basic knowledge of yoga postures and philosophy is preferred, but not essential. Graduates of the course receive internationally-recognised certification. Certified by the worldwide Yoga Alliance for the 200 hours standard for Registered Yoga Schools (RYS). Students enjoy occasional Indian cultural programmes that are offered during evening satsangs. Each week there is one day free of lectures. During this day students are required to attend morning and evening satsang. During free time, students can explore the Ashram’s vicinity or join our occasional day trips to places of interest. Attendance at all activities is mandatory. Changes in the programme may occur from time to time.

A high degree of self-motivation is required for all aspects of the course. A basic knowledge of yoga postures and philosophy is helpful but not essential. A sincere desire to learn and openness to the teachings of yoga is required. The practice and especially the teaching of yoga demand a high degree of self-discipline and purity. To ensure the success of the programme, participants are required to attend all spiritual activities, satsangs, lectures and asana classes.

Meat, fish, eggs, black tea, coffee, alcohol, tobacco, drugs and nudity are prohibited during the course as they are counterproductive to the yoga practice. A dress-code is followed. It is not possible to cater to personal dietary preferences beyond the yogic-vegetarian meals. Participants who do not comply with the Ashram rules and guidelines may be dismissed from the course.

The goal of the programme is to produce qualified and inspiring yoga teachers who are able to draw on their own practice and personal discipline in imparting the yoga experience to others. The curriculum is based on the five points of yoga as taught by Swami Vishnudevananda, which can be understood as the practical application of the traditional four paths of yoga. The intensive daily schedule includes:

Yoga Anatomy and Physiology

The effects of asanas and pranayama on the: cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive and skeletal and muscular systems

Yoga and physical culture

Yoga Nutrition

Vegetarianism for physical, mental and spiritual health

How diet affects the mind

Principles of nutrition

Healing effects of fasting

Kriyas

The six classical purification exercises for the eyes, nose, air passages, oesophagus and stomach, abdominal organs and large intestine. Explanation and demonstration of the exercises and their effects. Individual instruction.
• tratak • neti • Kapalabhati • dhauti
• nauli • basti

Teaching Practice

How to teach the 12 basic postures and breathing exercises to beginners and intermediate students

Setting up of a proper environment for class

General pointers on teaching a class

The Basic Sivananda class

Beginners’ course

Advanced postures

Yoga for children

Yoga for older citizens

Yoga for pregnancy

Relaxation

Detailed correction workshops

In the second half of the training course, participants will teach each other under the guidance of an experienced instructor.

Bhagavad Gita

One of the greatest spiritual texts of the world, the Bhagavad Gita contains subtle and profound teachings and has a universality which embraces every aspect of human action.

Study of both the text and Swami Sivananda’s commentary.

Karma and Reincarnation

The law of cause and effect

The law of action and reaction

The law of compensation

The law of retribution

Destiny and self-effort

Samsara, the wheel of birth and death

Hatha Yoga

Ethical and moral principles

Body, prana and mind

From control over the body to control over the mind and meditation

Raja Yoga

Ashtanga: the eight limbs of yoga

Antahkarana: functions of the mind

Concentration and meditation

Kundalini Yoga

The Absolute and its manifestation in nature

Macrocosm and microcosm

The seven chakras

The awakening of cosmic energy

Bhakti Yoga

Kirtan: chanting of devotional songs. Chanting opens the heart and purifies the mind. In devotional chanting correct pronunciation, devotional attitude and awareness of meaning are all-important.

Sanskrit mantras, Indian deities and their cosmic meaning

Arati and pujas (traditional Indian devotional rituals)

Karma Yoga

Karma Yoga – selfless service: one hour daily in the Ashram community. You will be asked to do various tasks within the Ashram setting necessary for the smooth running of the community. Karma yoga helps to reduce selfishness and egoism, essential for spiritual progress.

Jnana Yoga

Basic concepts of Vedanta philosophy

The seven bhoomikas or planes of consciousness

Space, time, causation

The three bodies

The three levels of the mind

Conquest of death

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Ashrams in Neyyar Dam, Madurai and Uttarakashi are now Certified Yoga Schools under the Scheme of Voluntary Certification of Yoga School Supported by Ministry of AYUSH, Government of INDIA and managed by Quality Council of India. We are conducting the training programmes of Level-1 Yoga Instructor and Level-2 Yoga Teacher as per QCI Competence Standard.

Two sets of uniform and a TTC manual are provided as a part of the course material and are included in the course fee.

Simple Indian vegetarian meals are provided at 10am and 6pm.

The course is taught in English. An international TTC course with translation is offered in January at Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, Kerala depending on demand. Please enquire before making any travel plans if you do not have a good command of both written and spoken English.

Refund policy:

For cancelling the registration before the start of the course, the original payment will be refunded less